A Japanese school's plan to introduce
Armani-branded uniforms for its students, at a cost of nearly $750 a pop,
has
sparked complaints and fierce debate, even reaching as far as parliament.

The local education board confirmed to AFP that the Taimei Elementary
School in Tokyo's flashy Ginza district will adopt the designer uniforms
from
April, with a full set costing parents around 80,000 yen ($740).
While the school says the new uniforms are not mandatory, critics said
parents would feel compelled to buy them to ensure their children were not
left out.
Kyodo news agency said the local education board had received a string of
complaints from parents, unconvinced by the school's explanation that the
designer uniform would be good branding.

In a letter announcing the uniform, the administration reportedly
said the
outfits were a bid to tie the 150-year-old school to the upscale Ginza
district where it is located.
But that did little to sway public opinion.
"This shouldn't have been about designer brands, or tradition. The
officials should have thought about the children and made a decision after
holding discussions," one parent, who did not wish to be identified, told
national broadcaster NHK.
"This is outrageous, kids' sizes change," one disgruntled commentator
wrote
online.

"Just too expensive for uniforms"

The uniform features sharply tailored blazers as well as add-ons like
bags
that can push the total set's cost to around 90,000 yen, a price another
commentator described as "just too expensive for uniforms for fast-growing
children."
Opposition lawmaker Manabu Terada even raised the issue during a
parliamentary session, questioning the logic of such an expensive uniform
at a
public school with students from a range of backgrounds.
Asked to comment on the issue, Finance Minister Taro Aso, known for his
own
tailored Savile Row-style suits, acknowledged that he thought the planned
attire was "expensive for an elementary school".
"It might be problematic if only one student cannot afford it," he said.
Italian brand Armani retains a particular nostalgic prestige for some in
Japan, who associate it with the boom years of the economy.
But with those days long past, the pricy uniforms appear all the more
incongruous to some.
"These uniforms are far more expensive that the suits I'm wearing," one
commentator grumbled. (AFP)